Yummy and Easy appetizer

BBQ season is in full swing right now. Y'all U.S.of A'ers know all too well that this weekend will be chock-full o'nuts of BBQs. I always like to bring something along so I don't feel guilty about eating my body weight in the host's food because it's nice. What I don't enjoy is messing up my kitchen before heading out. I don't want to come home all partied out and have a mess to clean up!
I just love easy appetizery things. This fits that bill. The "major" pre-work (I say major, but really, it's nothing big) can be done a day or two, or three in advance. The whole thing comes together quite quickly and lemmie tell ya, it gets a great reaction! I brought these babies to a get together Saturday night and got a positive reaction from all of the ladies present. It's normal for chicks to say something is good, but what I didn't expect was how my friend's hubby went on and on about them! He was even telling other guys how good they were!

Caramelized Onion and Cream Cheese Crostini

1 French baguette, sliced 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick slices (you can cheat here and buy pre-toasted, ready to go crostini)

1 container flavored Philadelphia cream cheese spread (I used spinach & artichoke, but they have several different ones to choose from)

2 large onions, sliced (I totally cheated here. My local stores sell pre-chopped onions and I used a 15oz container...NO TEARS!!!! Woo-hoo!)

In a medium to large saute pan, heat up several Tablespoons of butter or oil (I prefer the flavor of the butter) and toss in your onions.

Not done yet

Cook those bad boys down until they're a nice caramel color do you say it CARE-A-MELL or CAR-MULL?? I used to say the latter, but The Dude has broken my spirit and changed me to the former.

To reach this stage took between ten and fifteen minutes.

While those are cooking down, start slicing up your baguette (or if you're a cheater, just twiddle your thumbs). I put mind on a baking sheet and baked them at 350 degrees for ten minutes...ya just want them crunchy.

**Special Note** Be on the lookout for small children stealing baguettes and taking bites out of them!

Thankfully this was my "extra" loaf.

After those cool a bit, spread some of your desired cream cheese on the baguette slices then top with a bit of onions. I probably used less than 1 tsp of either per crostini.

The bread can be toasted in advance and the onions can be caramelized in advance. Easy does it. A few minutes before just plate those bad boys up and you're good to go. Done and donner.

Seriously, these are super yummy and easy to do. Do it. Do it. Do it!

****D'oh!!! Almost forgot to give credit where credit is due!! My lovely sister made these for us when she visited recently. So yeah, hearts to you for this recipe!

IT'S ALIVE!!!!!

Yes friends, I am alright. I had a trip to Houston for my Dad's suprise 60th birthday party suprise...see...that's why I couldn't tell y'all I was leaving! Then I had my Mamma, two sisters, a niece and nephew and a few visiting friends staying with us for a while. Yes, we were busy busy! I am back now. Allow me to catch up a bit and I'll be back to my old posting self.

I leave you with our company's new commercial. Now, this is for local tv, nothing fancy. The Dude, Pickles and I are all in it. Enjoy.

Wordless Wednesday

Pickles, unsupervised for the 1.875 minutes it took me to throw the laundry in the washing machine. Somehow managed to find the powdered sugar...nice
ME, just realizing this is technically not wordless. Crap. I never followed directions well.

Kharma, or my 9mm will get you.

I had a plan all laid out for lunchtime. I had planned on quickly eating and then starting dinner I know, I was so organized and everything! I was planning on making a marinara sauce using ingredients I had grown myself. Yeah, yeah, I gardened a bit this year. This was my first foray into the world of green-thumedness. I have been moderately successful. Anyshway, I had tomatoes, basil and parsley that I planned to pick and use.

I flitted out the back doors, across the deck and down to the back where I keep my little plants. WHAT THE HELL?! Someone stole my tomatoes. Who does that? Seriously! I had several ripe tomatoes that I had scouted out yesterday evening and they were gone! Oh, of course they left the unripe ones, probably so they can come back to steal them next week! Its not even like I live on a busy, highly traveled street either. In fact, where my tomato plants are is towards the end of a very short dead end street. Directly across from my plants is a very nosey neighbor, so I'm hoping she saw the culprit. Dude! I'm super pissed.

Soooo, I had to make due with some canned tomatoes. Not that I wasn't going to supplement my tomatoes with the canned stuff, but still! UGH!

I actually tried REALLY REALLY hard this year to grow stuff. Growing things is generally not what I do best, but this year was different!

I have mint and basil and tomatoes, and flowers, and pumpkins (I wasn't getting any closer than this folks. Please, I was in heels) and lettuce and beautifully blooming Crape Myrtles and I even sprouted two avocado pits, so I have avocado plants growing too!

Watch your back, tomato thief. I'll get you when you least expect it!!!

Oh life, how ironic you are.

Today is the first day of hurricane season.

*Not actual path of Gustav, the middle finger is off just a smidge*

I just got a text message from The Dude, "Work is complete!" Yes friends, we have finally completed all of the repairs for the damage our home sustained during Hurricane Gustav, JUST in time for the new hurricane season.

Alright Mother Nature. Bring it biotch. We've cut down all big trees, replaced the roof and numerous ceilings/flooring/home furnishings. I dare you.

Picture me in a 3-point stance, in the middle of the street, ready to take on another hurricane, head on. Then picture me running like a little girl for cover when the winds pick up.

Nothin' but love for all of the other coastal states but, dudes, y'all take this year, mm-kay?!

P.S. At some point I will get around to posting some before and after pictures. But you know, I'll have to clean my house first so you could tell which were the before and which were the after. Patience my friends, patience.